Depending on your CMS, it may even integrate with your off-site ads, customer relationship management system (CRM), email, and other marketing tools.

The two most trusted CMS on the market are WordPress and HubSpot. So, what's the difference between the HubSpot CMS and WordPress? Which one is best for you? Here are the things to consider.

HubSpot CMS vs. WordPress for Your Website

protocol 80 started out as a website design company. In the beginning, we strictly used an in-house platform called c80. Over time we shifted to using WordPress for every client. It was the best option available at the time, and it adequately met most small-to-medium business needs.

A few years ago, we moved to HubSpot for our own website & marketing. Many of our clients also shifted to HubSpot, and they're all quite happy with it. As their marketing team, it allows us to provide more in-depth reporting. However, many prefer WordPress over HubSpot.

In short, we're quite familiar with the pros and cons of each platform. In the end, you may find that neither meets your needs. That's fine - there are plenty of other CMSs out there! For now, we're focusing on the two heavy hitters in the website management arena.

WordPress

WordPress is a tried-and-true website solution. It's been around since 2003 as an open-source CMS, which means the community has greatly influenced its evolution. Most WordPress plugins are developed by independent programmers.

For more independent website owners, WordPress's large community and customizable code make it easy to DIY everything. However, if you're not tech savvy and/or prefer a dedicated expert support team, WordPress will feel cold and confusing.

WordPress is great for independent website owners who want full control over their website and enjoy a large community network full of add-ons to power the functionality you want.

WordPress Pros

Free

Numerous plugins provide additional marketing capabilities

Standard, easy-to-use platform

Thousands of paid & free themes

Large community support network

Fully customizable coding

Established, trusted platform

Built-in blogging capabilities

WordPress Cons

Integrations are clunky

Plugins often rely on the individual developer to stay updated and secure

Not very secure - common target for hacking

Lack of coordinated customer service

Mobile optimization is not guaranteed - you must choose a responsive theme

Limited built-in optimization or marketing capabilities

May require webmaster or developer middle man

Complex designs are difficult to maintain and update

HubSpot CMS

The first thing you should know about the HubSpot CMS is that it is a paid service. And there's a reason for that. It's highly intuitive, and provides a solution to the problem of actually getting eyeballs on your site.

Just having a website won't get you very far - you also need people to take action. HubSpot provides built-in, fully integrated marketing tools like landing pages, CTAs, email, social media, and a blog. Everything is branded to match your website.

Additionally, you can track the performance of every marketing tool you use. HubSpot offers analytics for every piece of content you produce. This means you can easily A/B test your marketing materials, optimize pages and blog posts, and track visitor activity. It provides guidance throughout.

In short, although you have to pay for the HubSpot CMS, you're getting a butt load of capabilities and quality of life improvements. Plus, since HubSpot has a dedicated development team, it will continue to evolve to meet future website and marketing best practices.

HubSpot is great for the less tech-savvy business owner who wants a secure, turnkey solution for their website and marketing needs. HubSpot's focus is generating leads through your website.

HubSpot Pros:

Across-the-board integration

Highly secure - comes with SSL

Extremely fast load times

Dedicated support team

Built-in mobile optimization

Built-in marketing tools

Detailed analytics & reporting

Visitor activity tracking

SEO capabilities

Fully customizable website design

In-context content editing

Works well for industries and companies of all shapes and sizes

Marketing automation

Dedicated development team means continued optimization & security

Free, fully integrated CRM

Turnkey solution

HubSpot Cons:

Paid (starts at $200/month for the Basic package)

Costs go up as you grow

No server-side code

Large Enterprises may find HubSpot limiting

Hasn't been around as long as WordPress - still developing to meet website owners' needs

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